After playing Beth Tinker on Weatherfield for more than ten years, Coronation Street actress Lisa George discusses her terrifying health battle and transitioning into life.
Lisa George was adored for her shady dealings and protective parenting of her son Craig for 13 years as Coronation Street’s iconic and outspoken Beth Sutherland (née Tinker). After her final (tearful) farewell to the cobbles, she’s determined to demonstrate there is indeed life after soap when we catch up with her a year later.
Grimsby-born Lisa has also undergone a major health transformation over the last year, with the help of a surgical tweak, and is finally loving who she sees in the mirror. As well as getting stuck into two history diplomas, Lisa – who competed on Dancing On Ice in 2020 – has also been managing a medical condition which has left her partially blind in one eye and without peripheral vision in her other.
After years of searching for answers after first experiencing sight loss in 2016, she was diagnosed with NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy), which returned in 2022. She details how she’s coping and why she’s determined to keep it that way in our exclusive conversation…
How has life been since Coronation Street, Lisa?
busy ! I’ve been engaging in a variety of activities. I recently received an award at the National Diversity Awards, and I’ve met some incredible people. Additionally, I’ve joined the acting lingcs in Lincolnshire, which helps connect residents of the area with the sector. You can do it because we live in Lincolnshire, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.
Nowadays, it must be nice to have the opportunity to say “Yes” to things…
There are many things I want to do, and it is. I’d like to write a period drama, too. I used to talk about the Second World War with my grandad a lot, and I’ve always been fascinated by it. Something based on the 1950s and 1960s would be amazing, too, since I also adore those days. I’m primarily fascinated by historical topics. I earned two diplomas during lockdown, one on Henry VIII’s six wives, and the other on Tudor history. Oh, and there’s a second one about Native American studies!
After watching a soap for so long, is it difficult to get moving?
I suppose many people recognize me as Beth, but I’m not a one-trick pony. Before Beth, I spent a lot of time watching TV, and I’d like to continue doing so. I want to resume singing and perhaps re-enter the recording room. When Corrie began, I stopped singing, but I had previously been teaching and performing in a large band.
You’ve also been promoting your vision issues. What’s going on now?
My eyes seem to be settling right now, in my opinion. I can see writing perfectly fine, but I can’t see the distances. I need glasses for reading because all the writing and numbers are so blurred, and because I can see the SatNav, I also have varifocals for driving. I have blind spots, so I don’t like doing night driving at night, but I believe that’s also a matter of age! I’d ask to be on the inside of the pavement if Corrie scenes were being shot in the dark because I couldn’t see the kerb’s edge.
You just recently appeared in a charity campaign for Vista magazine. More information please…
I was so pleased to be asked. It was wonderful to participate in National Eye Health Week because it is National Eye Health Week. I’m excited about recording a section of literature for an audiobook for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, as well as being a part of their 90th anniversary celebrations.
Recently, you recently experienced another sight loss episode…
Yes, I went out for dinner in 2022 to celebrate Katie McGlynn’s birthday in a dark room. The menu was completely blurry when I looked at it.
That must have been incredibly terrifying…
It was . I recall remarking, “Something is really wrong. I called the opthamologist the following day, was taken to A&, E, and spent a week recovering in the hospital. They said I must have had diabetes because I hadn’t been fully diagnosed with it yet.
What do you think of the label “visually impaired”?
To be honest, I don’t mention it that often. When I was on Coronation Street, the only reason many people knew was because my script was in font size 16 so they could probably see it from the other side of the set! I’m classed as “visually impaired” now on my Spotlight CV, and that did make me wonder if people maybe wouldn’t want to cast me. But there is better access now for people with all sorts of disabilities so I don’t let it worry me.
When it comes to your future employment, do you worry?
You know, I really don’t want my eyes to deteriorate any more. When it first happened, one of my fears was, “How am I going to work in a theatre if the stage is dark?” But I did panto last year and the crew and cast were amazing and made things easy for me.
How exactly?
I was forced to leave the stage at one point because there was smoke all over the entire show, so two dancers helped me get off. Although it was insignificant, it allowed it. They were fantastic and extremely helpful.
Could more work be done to improve the inclusion of the entertainment sector?
Absolutely not. I want to highlight one aspect of acting that will appeal to viewers. When you are asked to create a self-tape, you are typically sent documents in PDF with a small font size, which prevents me from copying and pasting the letters and making them larger. Many people would be greatly affected by things like that if they were taken into account.
You appear to be incredible right now, which is a significant change from Beth of Weatherfield!
Thank you. I’m feeling fantastic right now. When I was on Coronation Street, I had stomach issues that lasted for ten or more years. My stomach would become extremely swollen, and I would appear pregnant. After visiting The IBS &, Gut Health Clinic in Wilmslow, I was put on a low-FODMAP diet, and the weight just disappeared. I’ve had only two meals a day for the past two years, so I’ve been very strict with my diet.
Do you also exercise?
I did really well last year, and I started training and running three times per week. Not so much now! However, I’ll soon resume it.
You had an eyelift in January of that year as well.
I did it. When I had my photo taken, I only looked at my saggy eyes. I was really getting older and it bothered me. I’ve been discussing it for a while, but I’m now so pleased with the outcomes.
This December, Lisa (@lisageorgeactor) will be performing in Cinderella at York’s Grand Opera House.
Source: Mirror
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